Horse Antepost
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02 Dec 12
22:58
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06 Feb 10
I'm not a fan of the man at all and feel like turning off the TV every time i see him so i would like to know some honest thoughts on the man as a trainer
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Replies: 37
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I like him as an individual. On the TV he comes across as honest and decent to me. Don't see the issue there at all.
But i'm not convinced all of his horses fulfil their potential. You dont see many of them improve to the top level. |
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We see him at Opp ways ! Just shows you how two people see someone so differently !! Yes i wouldn't put a horse with him but i'm not sure who i would put one with
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Haven't seen him on TV much but read his column in the Weekender and he's very straight forward.
Appears to have done quite well as a trainer but doesn't appear to be as good as his mentor and predeccesor(excuse the spelling) David Nicholson. Quite why I don't know. |
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I guess I'd be a little concerned that Montbazon, Grumetti, Invictus, Batonnier and Medermit are all out at the moment, 3 of which for the whole season it would appear.
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He must be OK to get the horses he does but doesn't seem to get the realy good ones and might be guilty of over rating some of them. David Nicholson was a good trainer in his own right but he wasn't up against trainers with the firepower of Nicholls and Henderson. He was up against Josh Gifford, a young Henderson, Fred Winter, Pipe, Kim Bailey, Toby Balding etc in a time when not so much money was spent on jumpers.
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 Yes i find a lot of his horses are out a lot and i'm far from sure about the fitness of one of his Jockeys |
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High time Hutch got promotion.
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I would have loved to have seen Invictus being part of 'last year's novices' debate. Actually think he'd have been right in the mix.
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Can't believe some of the shoite that has been posted on here.
AK is the son of a tenant farmer near Lanark. No silver spoon in his mouth. He learned a lot as assistant to the Duke, including how to avoid becoming insolvent. He is a very good trainer of juvenile hurdlers and mares in particular. Very few trainers improve horses they inherit from him. Ask NJH about Voy Por Ustedes. |
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I sent a request to the yard asking about the wellbeing of Medermit, who is on the website as 'resting', but they didn't reply
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ff you are right to choose on highlighting the positive. Most have picked up on potential weaknesses including mine.
However I don't think the posts have been overly aggressive with perhaps the exception of the negativity of the OP. |
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Its not been crazy anti AK
 Sure i put this up as a Negative but i wanted to make my opinion clear otherwise i wouldn't have been being fair |
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judo
Yard has a policy of not saying anything to anyone without the owners being informed first. It's why Chocs never gives post race interviews before he is back in the winners enclosure. If the last thing that Alan said to Medermit's owmer was 'he's resting', he's not going to tell you any more! If he has a weakness in the diplomacy stakes, it's that he won't use one word where none will do. |
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I only asked if he would be back on the track this season, they will know more or less
just plain rude |
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Perfectly decent trainer, nothing more nothing less. He comes across as fairly straightforward and, sorry Juorick, I have no problem with him, or his secretary, not answering enquiries from Joe Public about specific horses.
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I agree just plain rude not to give two minutes of your time answering a question from a member of the public
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Have you tried with any of the trainers? Henderson?
I have asked twice not really expecting an answer either time, but got one the first time for which I was most grateful. Has a decent and informative website that is updated more frequently than most as well |
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yes indeed
they could reply and say 'we don't give out any info' and that would be fair enough but they just ignored me I've seen him plenty of times at the races over the years as I've been involved in ownership since 1990. In fact, I had a quarter share in a horse with Duke Nicholson and if I see him at the track I am gonna pull him up about it. Not a fecking state secret is it? A simple 'he won't/will be back this/next season would do' |
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Learned how to be rude from the Master, David Nicholson
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I nearly gave the Duke a heart attack at Aintree. We had a runner in a handicap hurdle and he said we were 'not off today' when we were standing in the paddock. So I asked him when we would be 'off' and he turned bright red and screamed 'we will be off when I fecking say we are off'
well I can tell you I am not the sort of man to be spoken to like that and I let him know in no uncertain terms that if he spoke to me like that again I would hurt him very badly. We ended up moving the horse to Martin Pipe. Horrible man he was. I would have chinned only he might have died and he wasn't worth it |
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Like those sort of stories
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Someone contacts Alan King about a horse's welfare ,how's he suppose to know if it isn't someone looking to gain information
to back/ lay on betfair. If he said it got a knock this morning and emailed it back the enquirer would more than likely lay the horse in any AP race it's entered. King provides a lot of honest information about his horses in the Weekender and in the RP . Personally think thats all he should have to do (many other trainers don't even do that e.g AOB). As mentioned earlier the very latest information should go first the owner who'll be paying £400pw+ to have his horse stabled there. |
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that may all be true
doesn't stop them replying saying as much does it? would take 30 seconds to hit reply and type Dear Mr Judo thankyou for your enquiry, unfortunately we are unable to supply the requested information with kind regards |
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Sure. A polite response is all thats needed.
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Yes and that counts for any trainer and anyone in life
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Judo, I have had a different experience to you. I have emailed Alan King 3 times in the last 2 seasons and he has replied twice answering the questions I put to him. I was very impressed and appreciative.
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perhaps you could send them a question about Medermit then Sint? I only want to know whether he's likely to see the track this year
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Is it important in terms of your betting Judo? That is only when I tend to email a stable, just to see if they are intended runners in specific races.
With Medermit we know he is injured and the trainer has already said he is looking at the second half of the season. That is the last I read. |
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Similar story to Judorick where Nicholson was rude to my then girlfriend in front of a crowd of friends at Uttoxeter. I responded the same way as judorick and like all bullies, he backed down.
Loads of people want to remember him as a 'Character' and one of the 'Old School'. In an industry characterised by unfailing courtesy and (at the risk of over-egging it) 'chivalry', he was the most unpleasant individual I have ever come across. |
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cheers sint that will do for me
yes Roger, always had the impression he was used to speaking however he liked and never got pulled up on it, so well done to you we had a much better experience with the horse at Pipe's |
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Easy enough to reply as is good for public relations and overall image but he may get hundreds of these a day,
Do you take the time to reply to every spam email or flyer that lands on your doormat or do you disregard them without a second glance. Just saying don't expect the same levels of courtesy from others that you would show as you'll just be left upset more often than not. |
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I really wouldnt think he could get 100s a day and i read a book from Elsie tanner ( PF) some lady from Corrie and she said never ever let your public down becos the next moment they're gone!!
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It's Nick Williams that I have a problem with.
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Difference between A.King and some soap opera actress is one needs the public and the other doesn't to remain solvent in their chosen profession,Long as he keeps the owners happy he'll survive.
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He's a good trainer, just below the top level
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Interesting observation from Hereford yesterday. Alan had 2 runners in the first 2 races but he was still there after race 4, presumably ensuring that his owners had a good day out. There was no sign of Venetia Williams - local course, Nigel Twiston Davies who is a Herefordshire boy, nor Charlie Longsdon who had 4 of the 7 winners between them. Longsdon's assistant was there but Twisters had no representative in the parade ring, his horse was the subject of a punt and he owns the winner himself (or at least it ran in his colours)!
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To counter some of the negative reports of David Nicholson.Many years ago my son , then aged 7, sent a letter to Mr.Nicholson enquiring about the well being of Viking Flagship. I didn't for a minute think he would receive a reply. However, by return of post he received a beautifully written response from the man himself.
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